US Air Force F-35A

The F-35 family will be making its debut at RIAT 2016 and will include the conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) 'A' model, destined for the United States Air Force (USAF). The aircraft will come from the 56th Fighter Wing, based at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona.

The F-35A is the smallest and lightest variant of the aircraft and is the only one to be equipped with an internal 25mm cannon. It is designed to operate from conventional air force bases, unlike its B and C model counterparts which are carrier-borne variants. The F-35A at the 2018 Air Tattoo will perform as the USAF Heritage Flight Team alongside a P-51D Mustang.